THE APEX THEORY
Andy Khachaturian, vocals
Art Karamian, guitar
David Hakopyan, bass
Sammy J. Watson, drums

THE HISTORY
"The whole process of making this album has been a kind of controlled chaos," says Andy Khachaturian, The Apex Theory’s singer and lyricist. "We recorded most of the record in spring of 2001, but as time and events played out, lots of things changed. We decided to release an EP first [The Apex Theory], and when we got back to releasing a full album, we added two new songs, remixed others and changed up the sequence. I was thinking about all that and kind of reflecting on my lyrics, and Topsy-Turvy just stuck out as a really good title for the record. It sounds playfully chaotic, just like the music."
Further instances of life turned upside-down came amid the band’s relentless touring schedule. Previously rooted in Los Angeles, Andy, guitarist Art Karamian, bassist David Hakopyan and drummer Sammy J. Watson have been on the road all over the country with bands like Linkin Park, Alien Ant Farm, Papa Roach and Static-X, as well as their cohorts on the 2001 Vans Warped Tour.
Still, despite the requisite craziness of constant travel, Khachaturian is thankful: "The road’s been really gracious to us; the audiences have responded very positively, especially considering most of them came to see the headlining bands. I think people are turned on by our music, by the energy and presence of what we do. It’s such a gratifying experience when we step out onstage and do our thing and then hear that applause."
The road was also where The Apex Theory witnessed the events of Sept. 11. "We were in El Paso and saw the whole shocking thing unfold on TV in our hotel rooms," Andy remembers. "The replay just kept going and going, and it was really difficult for us to sit there and take it in and make it real. So we went down to a coffee shop. Then a really weird thing happened. This older lady came over and started harassing us, saying, ‘Who are you? Are you foreigners? Arabs? Terrorists?’ She just went off. We tried telling her we were Armenian, not Arabs or terrorists. But she insisted on calling hotel security and making them call the police. We got out of there in a hurry – we weren’t even going to try to deal with that."
In fact, the members of The Apex Theory have always embraced their ethnic heritage and have indeed paid homage to it on Topsy-Turvy (released April 2, 2002, on DreamWorks Records): Andy, Art and David are all of Armenian descent; Sammy isn’t, but he’s nonetheless a key factor in the band’s "heavy Mediterranean groove." This distinctive sonic identity was enhanced for Topsy-Turvy by producer Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Sugar Ray, Lit, Eve 6, Pearl Jam), with Rich Costey (Rage Against The Machine, System Of A Down, Dave Navarro) and Alan Moulder (Nine Inch Nails, A Perfect Circle) serving as mixers.
The Apex Theory have been creating their brand of playful chaos since 1999. Andy, Art and David were raised in the Los Angeles area; Sammy grew up in Chimacum, Wash. As teens they sponged up a variety of musical genres, everything from heavy metal and pop to jazz and classical. But long before then, David, Art and Andy were already absorbing the Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Near Eastern music they heard at home.
Andy’s father is Greek-Armenian, so music from both countries permeated the Khachaturian household. David’s parents arrived in the States from Armenia when he was a preschooler. Some of the bassist’s earliest inspirations came from the unusual time signatures he heard in the music played at weddings and other celebrations. Art’s family is Armenian, but he was actually born in Iran. The Karamians immigrated to the U.S. when he was very young, so he grew up amid yet another multicultural collage of sound.
"Hearing all that different stuff had a lot to do with shaping our internal ears – our slookh," says Andy, using an Armenian term that roughly translates as "musical instinct." "Some of the rhythms, time signatures and minor-key things we play might feel a little odd to people, but to us, they’re quite close to home."
This is illustrated vividly on Topsy-Turvy, each song of which is credited to the group as a whole because each Apex member is a significant contributor to the band’s compositions and arrangements. "We always create together, but it’s completely different each time," Art says. "That’s what keeps the collaboration fresh. The spontaneity of that is beautiful."
The beginnings of this partnership go back more than a dozen years, to when Andy (who’d started out playing accordion and piano before switching to drums) and David (who’d progressed from piano to guitar to bass) met as junior high students attending a private Armenian school in Hollywood.
The pair played in numerous bands together and separately throughout their high school years. Meanwhile, Andy met Art in another pre-Apex band, and they, too, connected musically and socially. The Apex Theory began to take its present shape when the three finally played together and Andy made the decision to get out from behind the drums to focus on vocals.
But finding a drummer who shared their sensibilities and commitment proved to be a frustrating experience. David recalls one audition: "This guy sat down at the kit, and we started playing one of our songs that had a few time-signature changes. He gave up after about 30 seconds. He said, ‘This is too much work.’ The dude just packed up his sticks and walked out."
Andy, David and Art had just about given up when Andy heard Sammy playing in another band and invited him to sit in with The Apex Theory. Sam’s accomplished musicianship and easygoing nature quickly landed him the throne.
He says: "My background was rock ‘n’ roll, but for the last several years I’ve also been listening to and playing a lot of different stuff, from jazz to Indian to Latin to old-school reggae. In all that music, there was always a great drummer involved. I think I bring a kind of jazz approach to rock by adding polyrhythms, dynamic sensitivity and odd meters that create an internal beat. I’ll admit that some of the band’s rhythms were foreign to me at first. We do come from different worlds, but the moment we pick up our instruments, none of that matters."
The Apex Theory played their first real show in March 1999 at the famed Troubadour in West Hollywood. The four-piece quickly developed a rep for intense live performances, packing clubs all over Hollywood and attracting an ever-growing army of record company A&R scouts.
Apex later recorded a show at The Roxy, burning their own CDs of the gig, which they made available to fans at subsequent performances. Encouraged by the energetic response, the band went into a Van Nuys, Calif., studio in 2000 and cut their debut recording, the EP extendemo, which they also released on their own. David points out: "We never sent our music to record labels. None of us were into the industry end of things. The whole idea was, let’s just write some songs that come from the heart and go out there and play shows."
Label reps continued to approach The Apex Theory, however, with DreamWorks Records principal Michael Goldstone ultimately tendering an offer they could not refuse. In early 2001, the band entered NRG Studios in L.A. with producer Gilmore to cut the material bound for Topsy-Turvy, among numerous other tracks.
Asked about his personal creative method, Andy says his experience as a drummer has a lot to do with his writing and the way he sings; often, the sound and rhythm of a lyric have as much impact as its meaning. He further explains that his lyrics, which frequently concern questions of identity, are stream-of-consciousness and thus open to interpretation by each listener.
The band’s name, too, can be viewed from a number of angles. Andy comments: "We came up with ‘The Apex Theory’ when we started talking about what we wanted to accomplish with our music, what we wanted to say. When I visualize the four of us playing together, the feeling I get is of moving forward and upward, musically and spiritually. It’s this idea of trying to go for it in life, trying to strive for the positive in everything."
Confirms Art: "The name means different things to each of us. To a degree, in my eyes, it’s about empowerment." David states: "The apex is the highest point of something, but the journey of getting to that point is what’s most important. I feel like right now we’re in that journey. I really do believe that if you put your heart into something, you can accomplish anything you want. That’s what it comes down to – that’s The Apex Theory."SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
extendemo (EP), self-released, 2000.
The Apex Theory (EP), DreamWorks, 2001.
Topsy-Turvy, DreamWorks, 2002.
0102 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
APEX THEORY HOME PAGE: www.theapextheory.com
DREAMWORKS RECORDS HOME PAGE: www.dreamworksrecords.com